Hollywood Still Needs Improvement

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On Jan. 7, The 75th Golden Globe Awards was a night of acknowledging sexual harassment and gender inequality within the industry. Actors wore black to show their support for the victims of abuse in the hands of powerful figures. Acceptance speeches addressed the growing movement and hoped it will bring the much needed change in the business. Watching the award show made me realize that, despite the widespread attention, there is still much to improve upon.

During the show, Catherine Zeta-Jones and her father in law, Kirk Douglas, presented the award for Best Screenplay – Motion Picture. The crowd gave him a standing ovation after a clip of his most famous roles were played on screen. Social media users were understandably outraged by this action and brought back the allegations against Kirk Douglas. The attendees, in black and wearing a Time’s Up pin, applauded a man who was accused of rape.

This was not the only time that a man with a history of alleged abuse was given recognition. Gary Oldman won an award for his portrayal of Winston Churchill in the movie Darkest Hour. It seems that his achievement overshadowed the fact that Oldman’s ex-wife accused him of abusing her in front of their own children.

Even before the show, certain celebrities already faced criticism from angry Twitter users. Actors, such as Justin Timberlake and Timothée Chalamet, were called hypocrites for wearing black even though they have worked with alleged rapist Woody Allen. The problem is clear, yet it seems difficult for stars to address. One of the main focuses in this movement is to expose harassers and remove them from their place of power. How can one join the movement if they support the harassers?

Four years ago, Dylan Farrow wrote a detailed letter about the abuse Allen inflicted onto her. The hypocrisy caused Farrow to rightfully join the sea of criticizers on Sunday night. She expressed the optimism she felt before the awards show. Farrow believed a change would take place about the way Allen was treated, but she was let down. “If Hollywood isn’t prepared to do that, they shouldn’t try to lead this movement,” Farrow said on her Twitter account.

If the film industry truly wants to change their environment, they cannot continue to give praise to the people that have made it toxic in the first place. Although there has been some improvements since the Weinstein allegations, it still has a long way to go. Wearing a black outfit and a Time’s Up pin means nothing if they will not continuously support the victims who have suffered.